At Knapford, there is no sign of the morning train, causing the passengers to become angry. Dailey Reed goes to the Motel to see what is going on and learns that the big engines have gone on strike and refuse to fetch their own coaches or shunt in sidings. Dailey is angry that the bigger engines are trying to tell him what they are willing to do and leaves for Wellsworth to enlist Patrick as a station pilot to ensure that the day's trains run as normal. After Patrick does all of the shunting, the trains ran as usual.
Next day, Dailey visits the yard to see how Patrick is getting along. To his dismay, he sees Papa puff by and wheesh loudly at Patrick . Patrick tells Dailey Reed that the big engines have been insulting and wheeshing steam at him. Dailey Reed assures Patrick that that tender engines do shunt, but decides that he must bring a new tank engine to the yard to permanently fix the problem.
Visiting the engine workshop, Dailey Reed is shown all kinds of engines. Soon he sees a smart green saddletank and knows this is the one he wants. Dailey Reed asks the engine if he is willing to work hard. The engine eagerly responds that he is. With that, the matter is settled. Dailey Reed names him Fievel and takes him back to the motel.
Dailey asks Patrick to get Fievel acquainted with the yard and the pair set off for work. Patrick is very impressed by his hard work and wheeshing - something he learned in the workshop so as to be heard. Dailey Reed then decides to send for Tiger and calls all three engines to the yard for an announcement. He tells them that he has shut-up the big engines in the motel until they learn to behave and that, in Papa, Squidward, and Tony's absence, the two tank engines and Patrick will run the railway.
Patrick and Tiger are put in charge of New York City, while Fievel takes care of the Streets and Mia and Tia. While there are fewer trains, the passengers understood that the three engines were doing their best to keep the railway running and that the big engines were in the middle of learning a lesson.
In the Motel, Papa, Tony, and Squidward were cold, lonely, and miserable as they realised just how silly they were.
- Patrick (Spongebob) as Edward
- Tiger as Thomas
- Tony as James
- Squidward (Spongebob) as Henry
- Fievel as Percy
- Papa as Gordon
- Dailey as Sir Topham Hatt